Going Home
by KittyJo89
Summary: Post-season 6 story about how Callie and Arizona are coping with the aftermath of the disaster and build up their future together. Chapter 4 is up! Rated T for later chapters to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there everyone,**

This is a Callie/Arizona-centred story taking place directly after the season 6 finale to show how our favourite girls are coping with the aftermath of the catastrophe and reunite with their friends.

And by the way, WOW, the finale was intense but I loved it! Especially the Baily/Percy storyline was incredibly touching. And Callie's speech about Arizona's super magic smile – I melted. Thanks Shonda!

Yet again no beta, so all mistakes are mine.

**Going Home**

Callie and Arizona were sitting in the back of an ambulance with their last two remaining patients on their way to Seattle Prespytarian. Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital had been evacuated and closed down for a few days due to police inspection. They had declared it a crime scene- their hospital, their safe place. It had always been a place of comfort for Callie, a place where she had met her best friend, her husband and the love of her life. A place that had provided her shelter when her marriage had ended and solace when George had died. Seattle Grace and its people had always been a home for Callie Torres.

And now it was a crime scene. It was the place where their colleagues, their friends and many other innocent people had died or been wounded. The events of this day had turned their whole world around and had made them realise that life is too short for insecurities or hesitation when you truly love someone.

Callie's hand was holding Arizona's smaller one and her thumb was rubbing soothing circles on the back of her palm. When they arrived at the hospital they made sure all their little patients were taken care of before they headed to the lobby to see who of their colleagues was there. They had heard that Derek Shepherd had been seriously wounded but survived and so had Alex Karev but they had also seen the dead bodies being removed from the hospital and the fear that one of their friends was among them had been threatening them ever since.

The first person they recognised when they entered the lobby was Teddy Altman leaning against the counter. Arizona let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace, dragging Callie along who was still holding her hand. When she reached the counter she let go of her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around Teddy from behind which made the cardio surgeon jump in surprise. But when she saw who was embracing her she smiled and returned the hug, glad to see both Callie and Arizona unharmed and healthy.

Arizona released Teddy from her embrace and looked up into her eyes. "Owen?" she asked and searched the taller woman's face for a sign of either grief of relief. Teddy forced a smile onto her lips and nodded. "He'll be fine" she said quietly but her voice carried a controlled sadness that made it pretty clear that she herself was far from fine. Callie stepped closer to her girlfriend and Teddy, placing one hand on the cardio surgeon's shoulder and the other one around Arizona's waist. "Teddy, please, I need to know" she said in a serious tone. "They say the shooter took doctors down. Who is it?" Teddy looked back and forth between the two women and then answered almost in a whisper "Reed Adams and Charles Percy for all I know".

Arizona's cry was almost inaudible and she buried her face in Callie's shoulder feeling her girlfriend's strong arms pulling her close. A few days ago she had joked with Teddy about Reed who she hadn't known very well but who she had respected nevertheless. And now she was dead and so was another young talented resident, people they had shared a part of their lives with. Arizona wanted to cry, all the contrary emotions she was feeling making her dizzy. Her brain refused to believe what had happened today, pushing all the grief and fear to the very back of her heart while the undeniable feeling of relief and gratitude for the fact that she and Callie were still alive was slowly coming to the surface.

Wrapped up in each other's arms they didn't notice the fourth person who was approaching them from the other end of the lobby. Before she knew what was happening Callie found herself in a tight embrace with Mark Sloan who kissed her temple lightly and mumbled something to himself that sounded like "Thank God". She was glad to see her best friend physically unharmed, apart from Arizona he had been the one she'd been most worried about. "You okay?" he asked as he held her at arm's length and looked at her searchingly. Callie gave him a thankful smile, nodded and then watched in surprise as Mark let go of her and, in a completely un-Mark-like motion, pulled Arizona into a bear hug as well.

The blonde stiffened for a second but relaxed eventually and allowed herself to be held. She knew that Mark, although he liked to tease her and call her 'Blondie', had a soft spot for her and was happy for her and Callie. And if she searched deep inside herself she was sure she'd find the same appreciation for her girlfriend's BFF even though she would never admit that to anyone. "Don't go all soft on me now, Mark" Arizona joked and the first true smile in what felt like weeks formed on her lips. Mark let go of her and smiled back, silently thanking the Almighty that they were all still able to joke with each other. "How's Alex?" Callie asked taking Arizona's hand in hers again, needing to feel some kind of physical contact with the blonde. "He's in recovery, he'll be just fine. Lexie is with him right now." He couldn't hide the glint of pain in his voice at the last sentence, especially not from someone who knew him so well. Callie laid a hand on his arm in a comforting gesture and he gave it a grateful squeeze.

"Thanks for saving my best resident" Arizona said trying to stir the conversation away from Lexie. She was actually grateful for Alex being alive not only because he was great with kids and definitely had a bright future in peads but also because she had grown to like him although she had once threatened him with hitting him with a brick for sleeping with Callie. Jealousy was a green-eyed monster after all...

Mark nodded and turned his attention back to Callie, pushing a stray of raven hair behind her ear. "At least one of us got the love of their life back, right?" he asked with a genuine smile brushing his thumb over her cheek. "Mark..." Callie began but was cut off by Mark's finger on her lips. "No, don't. You deserve happiness, I'm glad you found her. And I'm a fighter, you know." Callie was touched by her friend's words and it gave her hope that he planned to keep fighting for his love because he deserved it just as much as she did.

Mark stepped back from Callie and with one last squeeze of Arizona's shoulder he turned around and headed towards the main entrance saying something about checking on Derek as he left. "Give him our get-well wishes!" Callie yelled after him and he nodded before he disappeared behind the closing doors.

Callie turned to Arizona pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her waist. "What do you think, are we ready to go home?" she whispered into her ear. "Home" Arizona repeated dreamily leaning her head against Callie's shoulder. "Sounds good" she finally said nuzzling her girlfriend's neck, inhaling the scent that was so uniquely Calliope. "My place or yours?" the Latina asked and couldn't suppress a chuckle. Arizona tilted her head to look up into Callie's warm brown eyes which radiated all the love that she clearly felt for the small perky blonde in her arms with her super magic smile. She swallowed the lump in her throat and answered almost in a whisper "It doesn't matter where we go, as long as I'm with you I'm home."

And that was the truth. There was still no clear vision of their future and after everything that had happened that day they would probably need some time to recover emotionally but the one thing that was certain was their love for each other. And that was all that mattered.

Soooo, that was it for now but I already have a few more ideas in my head so if you want this story continued, let me know. And as always, comments are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2 Imagine

Okay, you asked for it so here we go, chapter two of Going Home:

AN: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I loved them, keep them coming!

And as always no beta so all mistakes are mine. Unfortunately the characters are not…

**Imagine**

Callie was awoken after what felt like an hour of sleep at the most by her girlfriend constantly twisting and turning in her arms. She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand: 2.11AM. She sighed and popped herself up on her elbow, placing a hand on Arizona's shoulder to turn her around so she was facing her. Callie knew that Arizona usually fell asleep pretty quickly and with all the events of the previous day she was clearly exhausted so there had to be something wrong if the blonde was still awake.

When Arizona turned around she had a look of guild in her eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you" she whispered apologetically. Callie gave her her best smile and ran her fingers over her girlfriend's cheek lightly. "Don't apologize. Why are you not sleeping?" she asked her concern clearly audible in her voice. "Couldn't sleep" Arizona mumbled but tried to avoid Callie's eyes as she did. Suddenly the Latina noticed something wet under her fingertips and instantly realized that tears were running down Arizona's cheeks. She cupped her girlfriend's face in both of her hands and lifted it up so the blonde had no choice but to look at Callie.

"Hey, what's wrong, baby?" Callie asked as she sat up leaning her back against the headboard pulling Arizona into her lap. She wrapped her arms securely around the shaking form of her girlfriend and rubbed her back soothingly. Arizona was sobbing silently allowing her tears to fall freely into Callie's top, her arms holding on to Callie's torso for dear life. When the sobs subsided and Callie was sure that Arizona had calmed down a bit she bent down a little to bring her mouth to her girlfriend's ear and whispered "Whatever it is that scares you so much you can tell me". She heard Arizona take a few deep breaths before she slowly said "Every time I close my eyes I see him pull the trigger". Callie didn't respond she just waited for the blonde to continue still rubbing soothing circles on her back in a reassuring gesture.

"I see his outstretched hand with the gun pointed to your chest and then I hear a shot and... and…" her voice broke and she started to sob again burying her face in the crook of Callie's neck her hands clinging to the Latina's top. Callie started to rock Arizona back and forth gently whispering calming words into her ear. Arizona having nightmares was not new to Callie. She knew from experience that her work affected the blonde more than she admitted, that the tiny coffins of the kids she couldn't save used to haunt her in her sleep. But apart from that one time early in their relationship Arizona had always slept peacefully in Callie's arms. This was the first time in almost a year that Callie was holding her girlfriend at night trying to chase away the images in her head.

When Arizona's breathing had returned to normal Callie reached for a tissue from the nightstand and wiped her girlfriend's cheeks. The blonde's beautiful and normally joyful face was full of fear and exhaustion and Callie could tell that she had been fighting sleep for quite some time. "You need some sleep" she said quietly and kissed Arizona's forehead affectionately. "I can't…" the blonde whined and snuggled deeper into Callie's embrace.

Suddenly an idea formed in Callie's head and she let herself slide down again taking Arizona with her until they were both laying down facing each other. "Ari, listen to me" she said tilting Arizona's face upwards so she would look into her eyes. "I want you to close your eyes and listen to my words. And I want you to picture everything I tell you as clearly as you can. Do you think you can do that?" Arizona hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and closed her eyes. Callie smiled and took her girlfriend's hand in hers silently thanking her for her trust. She scooted a bit closer to Arizona and said "Now imagine a beautiful big house with a porch and a huge backyard". The little wrinkle that formed between Arizona's eyes told Callie that her girlfriend was trying to do as she was told so she continued. "Imagine you and me sitting on a bench in the garden overlooking the colourful flower bed and the chicken house and the rusty swing in the corner". Arizona's features softened as she asked "We have chickens?" Callie smiled and lifted her girlfriend's hand up to her mouth to kiss it softly. "We can have anything you want" she said and planted a trail of light kisses from the blonde's hand over her arm all the way to her shoulder. Arizona sighed contently in response and began to relax.

"Imagine our little puppy curled up next to your feet" Callie continued her breath hot against Arizona's neck causing her goose bumps. She hesitated a little before she said her next words remembering for a split second what that subject had caused the last time she had brought it up. But now she just calmed her nerves and whispered "And now imagine a tiny hand tugging on the hem of your shirt". Callie kissed the spot where Arizona's neck and jaw met and a quiet moan escaped her girlfriend's lips. God, how much she had missed this intimacy between them and all the little adorable noises the blonde made in response to Callie's touches.

"Can you see it?" the Latina asked nuzzling Arizona's cheek. "Yes" came the answer from her girlfriend's now smiling lips. "Then tell me about it" Callie asked. "Tell me what our kid's like". Arizona kept her eyes closed, concentrated on the image in her head and then slowly said "It's a beautiful little girl. She looks exactly like you with dark curls and those amazing blown eyes of yours that I love so much. And for some reason she has my dimples". Callie forgot how to breathe for a moment. Words could not describe the joy she felt at her girlfriend's description of their daughter. She cupped Arizona's face in her hands and kissed her deeply trying to put all her love and devotion for her into that one kiss.

"I love you so much" she whispered against Arizona's lips as they broke apart. "I love you, too" the blonde whispered back as she opened her eyes and met Callie's gaze. "Do you think you can sleep now?" Callie asked unable to keep her hands from stroking Arizona's face. Her girlfriend smiled thankfully and nodded. Making herself comfortable in Callie's embrace she rested her head on the Latina's shoulder and closed her eyes. A mumbled "Thank you" was the last thing Callie heard before the slow rising and falling of Arizona's chest told her that her girlfriend was finally asleep. She watched her sleeping beauty until she felt her own eyelids become heavy and eventually her eyes closed on their own accord. 'Maybe we should use our days off to put some space between us and the hospital' was Callie's last thought before she followed her girlfriend into the land of dreams where they sat together on the porch in front of their big house watching their kids play with the dog and, of course, the chickens.

So that was the second chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Next one would be our girls putting Callie's plan into motion and go on a holiday so again it's on you to decide whether I should post it or not. As always any kind of comment would be great.


	3. Chapter 3 A New Horizon

Sorry guys,

This took me a bit longer than expected because I had to do some research for it. I hope it paid off and you like how it turned out. So here we go and as always, mistakes are mine, characters are not...

**A New Horizon**

Callie was standing in the doorway of Arizona's bedroom watching in amusement as her girlfriend was rummaging through her wardrobe, a big travelling bag open on the bed. "How am I supposed to know what to pack when you won't tell me where we're going?" the blonde asked with a frown, half of her body hidden behind the doors of the massive piece of furniture. Callie suppressed a chuckle and simply answered "You just pack something for warm days and something for cold days and we're good to go". She had managed to get a few additional days off for her and Arizona to enjoy a proper holiday and forget about all the dramas at the hospital. And now ten full days of much needed relaxation with her girlfriend lay ahead of her and you couldn't wait for them to start.

"It's not that easy, Calliope" Arizona complained. "Will I need a bikini for instance?" she asked waving a tiny light blue bikini in front of Callie's eyes. The Latina's eyes went wide as images of her girlfriend in that sexy piece of clothing formed in her head. She doubted that it would be warm enough for a swim in the sea but she was sure to find another reason for Arizona to wear that bikini. She shook her head out of her reverie and focused her gaze on her girlfriend again. "Definitely yes" she answered with a big grin on her lips. Callie's dreamy look hadn't gone unnoticed by Arizona who smiled at her and threw the bikini into her bag. "I just hope you packed one, too" the blonde said with a smirk and turned her attention back to the wardrobe. Callie made a mental note to check her bag for a bikini later on. Although they weren't going to Spain for now she was sure that the upcoming ten days were going to be exactly what they needed to reconnect emotionally and physically.

Two hours and three rearrangements of Arizona's travelling bag later Callie was finally throwing their bags into the back of Arizona's car and they were ready to go. "Just for the record, if we get stuck in traffic it's gonna be your fault 'cause it took you forever to get ready" Callie said with a smile as she took her seat on the driver's side. "Fine, I take the blame" she said, smiled back and sat down next to her girlfriend. She was tired due to the fact that after her girlfriend's surprising announcement of their trip she had spent all night wondering where Calliope might take her instead of sleeping. And until now the excitement and anticipation had kept her going but now she was beginning to feel her exhaustion.

"Thank you for this, baby" Arizona said looking into Callie's eyes lovingly and placing a hand on her knee. "You're welcome" the Latina replied and took Arizona's hand to kiss it gently. Seeing the tiredness in the blonde's face she added "You can go to sleep now, we're going to spend the next four hours or so on the road". Arizona tried to fight sleep as long as possible wondering which holiday destination they could possibly reach in four hours but her eyes fell shut over her thoughts and she was asleep by the time they were out of Seattle.

When Arizona opened her eyes again as a result of someone shaking her by her shoulder she was met with the beautiful brown eyes of her lover looking at her affectionately and a broad smile just a few inches below. "Hey sleepy head, time to wake up, we have to get out of the car" Callie said and freed Arizona from her seat belt. The blonde checked her watch: She had slept for a good three hours. "Where are we, Calliope?" she asked as she looked around and in what looked like a massive car park. "Well, have a guess" Callie answered and chuckled at her girlfriend's drowsiness. Arizona shook her head to shake off the sleepiness and had a proper look around. The cars around them were parked to closely to each other to be in a car park and the majority of them had Canadian number plates. And then her eye caught a big sign on the opposite wall saying "BC Ferries, West Van – Sunshine Coast" and a smaller screen underneath it announcing "Expected time of arrival in Langdale: 4.10 PM"

"We're on a ferry" Arizona mumbled in realisation more to herself than to her girlfriend. "You're so smart" came the response from Callie who held the passenger door open for the blonde the smile still on her lips. Arizona got up from her seat and took Callie's hand as they left the parking deck and climbed the stairs to the main deck. The blonde couldn't stand it anymore, she had to know where they were going. She had already figured out that they were in Canada but she needed to know what Calliope's final destination was. "Please baby, don't tantalise me anymore, tell me where we're going" she begged and tugged at her girlfriend's hand.

Callie let out a small laugh and kissed Arizona's cheek. It was the most adorable thing in the world to her to see her girlfriend all excited like a child on Christmas day. "Okay, you win. I rented a little cottage in a small coastal town called Gibsons. It's supposed to be in a nice and quiet surrounding and it has a fireplace with a bear skin rug and stuff. I remembered you saying you always wanted to go to Canada ever since you came to Seattle so..." Callie was cut off by a pair of warm lips on her own. "I take it that means you like my idea" the Latina chuckled when they broke the kiss. "I love it, thank you so much" Arizona said resting her forehead against Callie's.

They spent the 40-minute ferry ride enjoying the beautiful scenery and talking about all the things to do during their ten days in Gibsons. When the ferry arrived at its landing place at Langdale harbour they went back to their car and waited for the ok to leave the ferry. Once back on land it was another short drive from Langdale to the town of Gibsons. Arizona watched in awe as they passed a cosy park, a lake where children were feeding the ducks and several little corner shops that sold all kinds of fishing equipment and boat accessories.

Shortly after they had passed the sign saying "Welcome to Gibsons" Callie stopped at a place to get the keys to their cottage. With the directions from the lady at the visitor centre it took them only another ten minutes to find their destination. Callie turned into a dirt road and when she rounded the corner a beautiful little cottage appeared behind the trees. It had wooden blinds at the windows and a balcony which looked out to the harbour and the mountains in the distance. "Wow" was Arizona's first impression as she disembarked and closed the door. "It's even better than on the pictures" Callie said as she walked around the car to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. "It's perfect, baby" the blonde whispered and Callie couldn't suppress a sigh of relief.

Once inside the cottage another pleasant surprise awaited them. Not only that they were amazed by how lovely the whole house was arranged, when Callie dropped down on the big sofa in the living room she also noticed a bottle of wine and a note on the coffee table. She picked it up and read "I hope it comes close. Nell" Arizona sat down next to her girlfriend and looked over her shoulder. "Who's Nell?" she asked and rested her chin on Callie's shoulder. "The lady who owns this place. I talked to her on the phone and she must have remembered me telling her that I wanted a special place for a special person". She smiled shyly and put her arm around Arizona's shoulders pulling her close. The blonde closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of total bliss for a few minutes before saying "I really hope you know how much I love you because words just can't express what I feel right now". Callie smiled and kissed her softly. "I do. And I feel the same way about you" she replied and leant in for another kiss.

She pulled back when she felt Arizona laugh into the kiss and looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What's so funny?" she asked and brushed a stray of blond hair from her girlfriend's face. "Nothing, it's just" Arizona trailed off as she peeked at the fireplace behind Calliope and blushed. She brought her mouth to Callie's ear so that her breath was tickling the Latina's sensitive skin when she whispered "This place does actually have a fireplace with a bear skin rug". "I know. I told you, didn't I?" Callie answered not quite getting Arizona's point. "Well, I know it's a cliché but can't you think of anything we could do on a bear skin rug in the fire light?" the blonde purred into Callie's ear her eyes turning dark blue with desire. The Latina's mouth suddenly became very dry as realisation hit her and images of Arizona's naked body in the fire light popped up in her head. "I think I can" she whispered and shook her head out of her dirty thoughts for the second time that day. And as she carried their bags into the house a little later while Arizona was picking up some firewood from the nearby shed Callie Thought to herself that she couldn't wait for the sun to set.

So, Canada it is for our girls now and if there are any Canadians among you please don't tar and feather me if I got something wrong, I've never been to Canada (unfortunately). All I had to help me with this was an old school atlas and Google maps. There is supposed to be a next chapter (if you want to read it that is) but you might need patience 'cause I need to do some more research before I can finish it. Thanks for reading and comments are always welcome.


	4. Chapter 4 Forever starts today

**Forever starts today**

The first five days of their vacation passed by in what felt like no time at all. They spent the days taking long walks enjoying the beautiful scenery, they went mountain biking and kayaking (which had apparently been Callie's idea but Arizona had had to admit afterwards that she had actually enjoyed herself), they tried every restaurant and diner in town to pick their favourite and they made friends with Nell, their landlord who happened to live just down the road and who had invited them over for a barbeque the other day. The elderly lady had instantly fallen in love with the two women and Callie and Arizona enjoyed the company of Nell and her husband Tom just as much. And before they knew it, it was Friday and that meant that the first half of their holiday was already over.

That night they lay in the massive bed wrapped up in each other's arms bathing in the afterglow of their lovemaking. They had moved their pillows to the bottom end of the bed so that they were facing the window on the opposite wall. Callie had opened the window so that they could watch the stars in the clear night sky and a gentle breeze could cool their heated bodies.

Arizona yawned and rested her head on Callie's chest drawing lazy patterns on her girlfriend's stomach with her fingers. Just as Callie thought that the blonde had fallen asleep Arizona whispered "What are you thinking about?" and looked up at the Latina. "What?" Callie asked taken aback. Arizona smiled warmly and placed a kiss on Callie's right shoulder. "I can hear you think so what's on your mind?" she asked. Callie took a deep breath. She was a little ashamed of her thoughts but she and Arizona had promised each other frankness and honesty and for the sake of those she had to put her cards on the table.

"I love you more than anything, you know that, right?" she asked quietly looking into Arizona's crystal blue eyes. "Of course I know that, honey, why would I... oh" Arizona stopped mid-sentence when she realised what Callie was trying to tell her. "It's about what I said in the hallway last week, right? About not trusting you" she added softly and raised a hand to stoke Callie's cheek gently. The Latina just nodded and tried to escape her girlfriend's gaze. They hadn't really talked about their argument in the hallway yet. Everything that had happened later that day had made them pretty much forget about it. But now that they weren't in a life-threatening situation any more, Arizona's words came back to Callie every now and then.

Arizona popped herself up on her elbow and tilted Callie's head so that they were looking each other in the eyes before she said "I never meant for my words to be this harsh. I was kind of striking back because you said you hated my guts. What I meant to tell you was not that I don't trust you because I do, really. Neither did I doubt that you mean it when you say you love me. I told you once that I love that you care like crazy and I still do that. It's just hard to tell sometimes where I come on your priority list."

Callie opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by Arizona's finger on her lips. "Just one more thing before you answer" she said and Callie nodded. Now it was Arizona's turn to take a deep breath before she spoke. "I don't blame you for not knowing this because I've never told you but I've been burned in the past. I was in relationships with girls who decided after a while that they'd rather be with a man or their ex. And they left me heartbroken because I was committed to them but it turned out they never really cared for me. Instead they were just enjoying the thrill of being with a girl or trying to ease the pain of their last break-up. When I rejected you after you told me that Erica was your first girlfriend I didn't mean to hurt or offend you, I was just protecting my heart."

Callie had tears in her eyes by now and both of her hands were cupping Arizona's cheeks but she didn't find the right words to say so the blonde continued. "I really tried not to fall for you, believe me I tried hard" she paused and smiled at the memory of her disastrous date with Julie which had ended pretty quickly after Callie had made an appearance. "But I guess I was already lost after our kiss in the bathroom at Joe's. And I've fallen harder for you than I've ever fallen for anyone. And it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

Callie's tears of emotion were running freely down her cheeks now and Arizona wiped them away with her thumbs. "I've known for a while now that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with and I was insecure because I couldn't tell if you felt the same way about me. But you stood between me and a man with a gun without a second thought and what you said to Ruby was the most beautiful declaration of love that I've ever heard. My insecurities are gone, Calliope. I meant what I said, I can't live without you and I don't even want to try. So does that answer your question?" Arizona finished her little speech and looked at Callie expectantly.

Callie needed a moment to let everything that had just been said sink into her brain. She was torn between crying some more and grinning like an idiot and eventually found herself doing both. She wanted to say something equally meaningful, tell Arizona how deeply and truly she loved her but every time she opened her mouth to speak she realised it had already been said. There was only one thing left to say.

"Marry me".

The words had slipped out of Callie's mouth before she had time to think about how to put them in a coherent sentence. Now she needed a minute for her brain to catch up with her mouth. She had meant to say it in a more romantic and sensitive way. She looked into Arizona's shocked but joyful face and pulled all her remaining strength together. Now or never.

She took Arizona's hands in hers and focused her gaze on those beautiful blue eyes that were slowly beginning to tear up. She had never been so sure about anything. "Arizona, I don't quite know what to say any more because you've already said it all. There are no doubts left, just love. And I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone. My life is worth nothing without you in it, you hold my heart in your hands and I know no safer place for it. You're my number one, you're the first in line, you are the love of my life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you- as your wife. And I want the rest of my life to start today, so Arizona Robbins, will you marry me?"

Callie was content with the way her proposal had come out this time and was now anxiously waiting for an answer. Tears of joy were staining Arizona's face but to Callie she had never looked more beautiful. "Yes" she whispered so quietly that Callie thought her ears might have played a trick on her. "Really?" she asked tempted to pinch herself to make sure this was not a dream. "Yes, Calliope. A thousand times yes" Arizona said her voice stronger this time. They both started giggling before Arizona reached behind Callie's head and pulled her wife to be into a fierce kiss.

They kept kissing for what felt like eternity neither of them willing to break the magic of the moment. When they eventually broke the kiss to draw their breaths they kept their foreheads together and exchanged loving gazes. Arizona was the first to break the silence. "Did we just get engaged or did I dream that?" Callie let out a soft chuckle and lay back down on the mattress pulling Arizona with her who immediately snuggled into her embrace. "No you didn't, that was actually real" The Latina confirmed and ran her fingers through the blond locks. "Wow" was all Arizona could reply. A comfortable silence fell upon them and for a few minutes the occasional rustle of the wind in the trees and their deep breathing were the only sounds that filled the room.

After a few more minutes of silence Arizona lifted her head from Callie's chest and asked "Cal, when you said you wanted our married life to start today, did you mean it like _today_?" she put extra emphasis on the last word and Callie knew what she was trying to ask. The thought had crossed her mind more than once during the past few minutes of silence. "Well I guess I didn't when I said it but considering that we have five more days left in a country where we can legally get married..." she didn't finish the sentence but she didn't have to. Arizona knew what she was hinting at and smiled at her. "I mean, we can still have the big party and all when we get back and this is not Vegas. I don't want to push you, I really don't care if we get married tomorrow or next year or in ten years as long as we're together. I'm just saying I'm ready when you are."

Arizona thought for a moment and then turned her head to face Callie. "I am ready. Now" she said and the love and determination in her voice allowed no doubt that she meant it. Callie looked at her for a long moment and then nodded and placed a kiss on her left hand. "Okay then. We'll stop by at town hall tomorrow and see what dates they have available. If you still want me tomorrow that is." Callie joked. Arizona decided to play along and furrowed her brow pretending to think. When Callie slapped her playfully on the arm she giggled and looped her arms around her fiancée's neck.

"I was just kidding. Of course I still want you tomorrow. And the day after that", she kissed Callie softly on the lips, "and the day after that", another kiss, "and the day after that" kiss. She continued the same way trailing light kissed all the way down Callie's bare body until she reached her belly button. When she dipped her tongue into it a moan escaped Callie's lips and Arizona looked up to meet her eyes. "I love you" the Latina whispered and reached a shaking hand up to stroke the blonde's face. "I love you, too. Now let me show you again how much" Arizona smirked and those were the last coherent words spoken for quite some time.

So, this was the big bomb, I hope it was worth the wait. I changed this a million times before I was content with it so I hope you like how it turned out. Next chapter will be the wedding (what a surprise;-)) so that will probably take me a while to finish as well. But I'll do my best to reward your patience. Thanks for reading and I know I'm repeating myself but comments are very welcome.


End file.
